


Stay away 'cause that boy's a warning sign

by tigriswolf



Series: comment_fic drabbles [237]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Backstory, Brothers, Canon-Typical Violence, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, Child Abuse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 19:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3146390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigriswolf/pseuds/tigriswolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>I can see your eyes staring into mine,</i>
  <br/>
  <i>But it's a battlefield and you're on the other side.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>You can throw your words, sharper than a knife,</i>
  <br/>
  <i>And leave me cold in another house on fire.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>[Barney and Clint Barton, through the years.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay away 'cause that boy's a warning sign

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Stay away 'cause that boy's a warning sign  
> Disclaimer: not my characters; title from “Black Roses”  
> Warnings: character death; implied violence; implied bad things happening to children; a mishmash of backgrounds for Clint; spoilers through Cap2  
> Pairings: none  
> Rating: PG  
> Wordcount: 615  
> Point of view: third  
> Prompt: MCU, Clint + Barney, [Black Roses](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/clarebowen/blackroses.html)

Once upon a time, there were two little orphan boys who ran away to the circus. They had all sorts of adventures and learned all sorts of things. The older boy protected the younger as best he could; that's what good older brothers do, after all. 

For ten years, he protected his little brother. He did all sorts of horrible things, but it was so his little brother got clothes that fit and enough food to eat and had the chance to keep on mastering the bow&arrow.

You see, he'd figured out that though he himself was pretty good at lots of things, his little brother was the best at a couple of things, and he wanted his little brother happy and safe.

Unfortunately, his little brother found out the price his safety and happiness cost, and then the older brother had to choose – his life or his little brother’s. 

He chose himself. 

For the rest of his life, he will regret that choice. 

.

Clint lived, despite Duquesne and Chisholm’s efforts. He lived to remember Barney walking away. He’d been an orphan for ten years and a brother for sixteen, and now he had to figure out how to take care of himself.

Clint had quite a few skills and none that would help him in living a law-abiding life. So he didn’t. 

.

Being an assassin is easier than it seems. Clint likes people in general, sure, but not enough to go out of his way to save them. His loyalty has to be earned, and it’s a lot harder than it was before the night his brother helped beat him into the ground. 

SHIELD was always going to come calling because skills like his – well, a good marksman is a dime a dozen. But he’s unparalleled except for another assassin named Bullseye, and Bullseye already turned SHIELD down. 

In thirteen years, Clint will be very glad it was SHIELD and not HYDRA that recruited him. 

.

Barney can do everything Clint can do, but not as well. Not as quick. 

SHIELD gave Clint a choice, and HYDRA gave it to Barney, too.

Neither one of them is a true believer in anything anymore. 

.

For sixteen years, Barney looked after his little brother. After, he knew that Clint lived but not much else. And now with HYDRA revealed to the world, Barney has another choice to make, twenty years too late.

.

When Black Widow uploads (almost) everything, Clint is undercover in Grodno and trying to cozy up to the daughter of a Russian mobster. He doesn’t know that Barney is there on unrelated business. He isn’t aware when it comes down to Barney having to choose between his own life and his little brother’s. 

They haven’t spoken in twenty years. Haven’t seen each other. But the day Barney realized that Clint was SHIELD’s Hawkeye was the proudest of his life. 

Half his life ago, Barney made a choice.

Clint doesn’t know that SHIELD and HYDRA are both going up in flames.

Barney makes his choice and he knows with his dying breath that it’s the right one this time. 

.

“Fuck, Tasha, what the hell is going on!” Clint yells into the phone, on the run from half the Russian mob. 

He survives. 

.

In half a year, all of the bodies will finally be identified. 

Clint won’t know what to think, but Tasha will let him wrap his arms around her, and Cap will put a hand on his shoulder, and Stark will pour the beer.

.

Thirty years ago, Clint’s parents died and his brother woke him up from an exhausted slumber to say, “C’mon, Clint, we gotta go! They’re gonna separate us!” 

Clint followed him.


End file.
